Unit Background
The Shattered Tower was once the Chapter of Sentinels Towers, one of the many Chapterhouses that formed High Chalcis. It was founded shortly before the Patrician Wars by Nehemiah, an alchemist, healer and follower of the Revelation who plied his trade to the needy and poor on the streets of Pharos. Led by Liao fuelled visions of the chaos and violence that was to come, Nehemiah convinced a ragtag band of pilgrims to follow him across the lands in search of a new home, far from their accursed city. Nehemiah and his followers overcame trials and obstacles, adhering to Nehemiah's interpretation of the seven virtues. At the end of their long journey, the band came upon two towers at the head of the Couros river, which Nehemiah declared to be their new home. The pilgrims set about the construction of their new Chapter in the shadow of those ancient fortifications, bringing together their founder's words and wisdom in the 'Books of Nehemiah'. The Chapter’s geographical remoteness and dedication to Nehemiah's legacy led to the Chapter having limited interaction with Highguard. When the Chapter was formally bought into Highguard, during the consolidation of Reikos the Chapter’s dogmatic devotion to their founder's interpretation of the Way contributed to the delay in returning a senator for Reikos until 'common ground' could be reached. Attempts to have Nehemiah recognised as an Exemplar proved fruitless for the Chapter. Over the next three centuries the Chapter became influential in national politics, and modern descendants of the Towers can claim numerous luminaries amongst their antecedents. Nine years ago Sentinels Tower fell. In the wake of the fall of Reikos, the survivors of the Sentinels Towers came together in Bastion, at the Chapter's hostel. Primarily non-combatants, the escapees were mostly merchants, home-makers, the very young and very old. Amongst the survivors was Ishmael, a former Unconquered who had taken up the Way and dedicated his life to the Virtue of Vigilance. With the Chapter's former leaders dead, Ishmael produced the texts of Nehemiah, rescued from the Chapter as it fell, as a reborn philosophy, alongside evidence of the Chapter’s betrayal from within, and the manipulation of the barbarian horde by the Eternal court of Summer. He remonstrated as to how the modern Chapter had deviated from his teachings and allowed the Eternals to plant a seed of treachery in the hearts of its people. He laid out a new creed for the Chapter, firmly centered on the Way and the virtue of Vigilance. He re-dedicated the survivors, extolling them to seek out these threats amongst them and take action, even if that meant being seen as 'unconventional' by the rest of Highguard. The Shattered Tower was born. Ishmael became a controversial figure in Highguard due to his hardline philosophies. His assertion that that many were wilfully blind to the puppet masters manipulating them earnt the Chapter few friends. Ishmael’s motives remained unclear, even to his closest followers and after establishing a new Chapterhouse for his people near Bastion, on the day the final stone of its wall was laid, he was found poisoned in his townhouse. The rise of Empress Britta galvanised the reborn Chapter, many of whom were eager to avenge themselves upon the barbarian hordes. Others, sworn to Ishmael’s code, watched the nascent Imperial resurgence, ever vigilant for signs of Eternal influence. Since the reconstruction of the Chapter in Bastion City, the Shattered Tower has dedicated virtually all its resources to the twin tasks of rooting out Eternal influence in the Empire and reclaiming Reikos. This has led to the majority of the Chapter being in the field, actively serving within or alongside the Inquisition to confront supernatural threats both within and without the Empire.